koala scat survey – campbelltown lga – east of appin road€¦ · koala scat survey –...

Koala Scat Survey – Campbelltown LGA – East of Appin Road

Prepared by Martin Schulz

February 2018

Summary

Koala scat surveys were undertaken on partially cleared blocks of land east of Appin Road in the

Campbelltown LGA. Koala scats were found under 25 of 306 trees investigated across the landscape with

a high incidence of occurrence under isolated paddock trees greater than 100m from the closest forest

remnant (42.9% of trees surveyed, n=7 trees). All areas surveyed were suitable koala habitat. Tree

species listed under SEPP44 were common and widespread across the survey area. These species

accounted for 63% of trees surveyed comprising the Grey Gum Eucalyptus punctata (45%) and the

Forest Red Gum E. tereticornis (18%). While tree use by koalas in the study area was found to be

significant, it was likely still underestimated. There are several reasons for this, the most important being

that the study area is currently extremely dry and has suffered many days over 36 degrees in the last two

and a half months, with some days up to 45 degrees. Koalas are very susceptible to heat stress and

many are likely to have moved into deeper gullies and more protected moister vegetation types during

these conditions. The results of this survey should therefore be considered a low baseline with more

Koalas likely occupying the area during normal conditions.

Table of Contents

Summary ........................................................................................................................ 2

1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 3

2 Methods ................................................................................................................... 3

3 Results ..................................................................................................................... 6

4 Discussion ................................................................................................................. 7

4.1 Koala Usage Underestimated .............................................................................. 7

4.2 Koalas and Paddock Trees ................................................................................. 9

4.2 Koalas and Disturbed Vegetation ........................................................................ 9

4.2 SEPP44 Trees ..................................................................................................... 9

6 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................ 9

7 References ............................................................................................................ 10

Appendix One: Koala Scat Search Trees Surveyed. .............................................. 11

DISCLAIMER This report was prepared by Martin Schulz in good faith exercising all due care and attention, but no representation or warranty, express or implied, is made as to the relevance, accuracy, completeness or fitness for purpose of this document in respect of any particular user’s circumstances. Users of this document should satisfy themselves concerning its application to, and where necessary seek expert advice in respect of, their situation. The views expressed within are not necessarily the views of the Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) and may not represent OEH policy.© Copyright State of NSW and the Office of Environment and Heritage

Koala Scat Survey, east of Appin Road

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1 Introduction

This report summarises the results of Koala scat searches undertaken on partially

cleared land east of Appin Road from Denfield Green south to the Blackburn Road

easement area in the Campbelltown LGA. The principal objective of the survey was to

search for Koala scats under trees in open paddocks or highly disturbed situations away

from the forest edge backing the Georges River.

The surveys were undertaken on 19 and 20 February 2018.

2 Methods

The presence of Koalas in an area can readily be told by identifying their distinctive

scats deposited under feeding and resting trees. The Koala scats are readily

distinguished from other sympatric mammal species (e.g. see Triggs 2011):

a) hard and firmly packed;

b) long oval or cylindrical in shape with a slightly ridged surfaced;

c) when broken open the fairly coarse fragments of leaf cuticles are typically

greenish in colouration in marked contrast to the mostly brown or red-brown

outer scat surface.

d) Fresh scats typically have a distinct eucalyptus odour.


4

Koala scats found in the study area.

As a result of their distinctive appearance and persistence in the environment scat

searches are an ideal approach to providing a level of understanding of Koala usage in

a particular parcel of land. The Spot Assessment Technique (SAT) was developed to

assist with the identification of habitat usage by the species (Phillips and Callaghan

2011). However, this technique is time consuming and requires a continuous tree cover

where a minimum of 30 trees must be sampled in a 40 X 40m area. Such constraints

could not be applied in the current survey due to the limited field survey time and

logistical constraints as well as the primary objective of sampling isolated paddock trees

and trees in disturbed lands fringing remnant forest areas.

Instead for the current project a modified SAT was adopted where:

a) Native live trees only were sampled.

b) All isolated paddock trees and a selection of trees in disturbed situations fringing

the forest to the east of the land blocks bordering the Georges River corridor

were sampled. Trees greater than 40cm diameter at breast height (DBH) were


5

sampled. The following landscape categories for each tree surveyed were: i.

Isolated paddock trees >100m from forest edge; ii. Isolated paddock trees

<100m from forest edge; iii. Remnant trees in cleared area <50m from Appin

Road tree corridor; iv. Modified canopy with many young trees and disturbed

cleared understorey and ground layers including the presence of buildings and

other infrastructure <50m from forest edge; v. Modified canopy with many young

trees and disturbed cleared understorey and ground layers including the

presence of buildings and other infrastructure 50 to 100m from forest edge; vi.

Modified canopy with many young trees and disturbed cleared understorey and

ground layers including the presence of buildings and other infrastructure >100m

from forest edge; and vii. Outer most tree of forest edge bordering extensive

cleared land.

c) Following the SAT cursory protocol: scat searches below each tree were

undertaken by walking slowly around the base and outward up to 100cm from the

trunk (depending on the extent of the canopy; i.e. small saplings with a small

canopy were walked outwards to the extent of the canopy). No disturbance of the

ground layer was undertaken as part of this search. Similar to the SAT approach

approximately 2 minutes was spent searching under each tree. Shorter search

times were undertaken when searching under saplings (DBH <100cm) and a

longer period under trees where dense leaf litter or ground layer shrubbery was

present or where accumulations of macropod and other scats were encountered.

d) For each search tree the following information was recorded: date, grid reference

using a GPS with all points having an accuracy of +3m (using GDA map datum),

tree species, position within the landscape (see above) and DBH using a tape

measure.

e) Where Koala scats were located beneath a tree the number of scats were

classified using the following categories: <10 scats, 10-20 scats, 20-30 scats and

>30 scats.


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3 Results

Twenty-five trees had Koala scats underneath of the total of 306 trees surveyed (8.2%

of total trees) within the area (Appendix 1). Trees species with scats underneath were

predominantly the Grey Gum Eucalyptus punctata (64%) followed by the Forest Red

Gum E. tereticornis (24%) and single trees of three species (Grey Box E. moluccana,

Blackbutt E. pilularis and Cabbage Gum E. amplifolia). The incidence of the percentage

of trees with Koala scats underneath compared to total trees of that species

investigated ranged from Grey Box (17% of total surveyed), Grey Gum (12%), Forest

Red Gum (11%) and lastly the Blackbutt (4%). Interestingly the only Cabbage Gum

surveyed had Koala scats present underneath it. No scats were found under four tree

species: Rough-barked Apple, Stringybark sp, Narrow-leaved Ironbark and the Broad-

leaved Red Ironbark (combined accounting for 27% tree species surveyed).

Isolated paddock trees which had Koala scats located underneath.

Unfortunately there were only a small number of isolated paddock trees present in the

area surveyed (i.e. only 7 trees >100m from nearest forest edge and 11 trees <100m

from nearest forest edge; combined representing only 6% of total trees surveyed).

However, interestingly a high incidence of Koala scats were under the isolated paddock

trees greater than 100m from the closest forest remnant (42.9% of trees surveyed, n=7


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trees). A relatively high incidence of scats were found under small trees in cleared land

within 50m of the Appin Road vegetation corridor (9.1% of trees surveyed, n=11 trees).

Much of the area was typified by a varying band of greatly disturbed vegetation fringing

the forest edge backing on to the Georges River. Within this disturbed area the trees

were typically small and regenerating, the canopy had been varyingly thinned, the shrub

layer was typically absent, the ground cover had been cleared, was grazed in many

places by cattle and there were large amounts of rubbish, weeds (including introduced

trees in places), remnants of old buildings and other structures present. This disturbed

band of vegetation accounted for 76.0% trees (n=19 trees) with Koala scats found

underneath. No scats were found under the 18 trees surveyed on the forest edge

backing on to the Georges River.

4 Discussion

4.1 Koala Usage Underestimated

A number of factors led to a likely underestimate of Koala presence in the area

surveyed:

a) At the time of the survey there had been well below average rainfall, with many

shrub species showing evidence of wilting, the soil cracked in places and most

stock dams were completely dry. Rainfall data from the nearby Mt Annan Botanic

Gardens in Campbelltown indicated the dryness leading up to the survey period

(Bureau of Meteorology data; Table 1). Further there had been 20 days between

the start of December 2017 and the survey period with temperatures at or over

360C during the past two and a half months. Such an incidence of high

temperatures may have contributed to a lowering in the palatability of the trees

on ridges and upper slopes, such as present in the current survey area.

Additionally the Koala is known to be susceptible to heat stress. Therefore, given

the unusually dry and hot conditions it is likely that Koalas at the time of the

survey were confined to cooler habitats and areas with more palatable


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vegetation, such as in deep gullies and better-protected situations e.g. along the

Georges River corridor. Since the duration of scat persistence is unknown in this

environment and activity is likely to have been reduced on the ridges and upper

slopes for at least a six-month period it is likely that the results are an under-

representation of Koala usage of the area.

Aug

2017

Sept

2017

Oct

2017

Nov

2017

Dec

2017

Jan

2018

Average

Average 38.0 35.8 45.3 69.3 60.8 77.2 326.4

2017/18 21.9 0.0 45.3 26.5 57.1 33.6 184.4

Table 1: Rainfall data from Mt Annan Botanic Gardens, Campbelltown for the six month period leading up

to the Koala scat survey (data from Bureau of Meteorology:

http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/cdio/weatherData/av?p_nccObsCode=139&p_display_type=dataFile&p_st

artYear=&p_c=&p_stn_num=068254).

Additionally, the number of scats encountered may have been under-detected as a

result of:

b) Many trees had an extensive crown (i.e. the majority of trees with DBH >200cm;

n=79 trees surveyed) which extended beyond the 100cm search area from the

trunk base. Therefore scats deposited from Koalas feeding or resting in the outer

canopy of such trees are likely not to have been located.

c) Since the rapid SAT involved a cursory inspection under each tree with no

disturbance of the ground vegetation or litter it is likely that some scats may have

not been detected, especially where a dense shrub layer was present.

d) In some areas large numbers of macropod scats were present, with macropod

activity (e.g. scrapes made for resting purposes) also resulting in much ground

disturbance. In such circumstances where Koala scats were intermingled

amongst large numbers of other scats they may have been overlooked.


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4.2 Koalas and Paddock Trees

The results indicated that despite the dry conditions Koalas were using isolated

paddock trees, including 42.9% of trees greater than 100m from the closest forest edge

or adjacent to the Appin Road vegetation corridor. This is in line with tracking studies

both locally and elsewhere that show koalas will travel large distances across cleared

land to access good feed trees in paddocks. Given clearing often occurs on the best

soils, and koalas select for trees on richer soils, they may even prefer paddock trees

over those in the nearby forest. It would be expected at different times of the year or in

wetter and cooler conditions that such usage may be even higher than what was

recorded in the current survey.

4.2 Koalas and Disturbed Vegetation

Results of this survey show that koalas are also using regenerating and remnant trees

in the study area. They were found using areas with incomplete canopy, lack of shrub

layer, evidence of old buildings and other infrastructure.

4.2 SEPP44 Trees

Feed trees listed in the State Environmental Planning Policy No. 44 – Koala Habitat

Protection (also known as SEPP44) were common and widespread across the survey

area (accounting for 63% of trees surveyed). These trees species were in order of

abundance the Grey Gum (45% of trees surveyed) and the Forest Red Gum (18% of

trees surveyed).

6 Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Liza Schaeper for organising the logistics and running of the survey,

Scott Courtney for assisting with the survey logistics and to Troy Lessels for providing

access advice.


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7 References

Phillips, S. and Callaghan, J. (2011). The Spot Assessment Technique: a tool for

determining localised levels of habitat use by Koalas Phascolarctos cinereus. Australian

Zoologist 35, 774-780.

Triggs, B. (2011). Tracks, scats and other traces: a field guide to Australian mammals.

Revised edition. Oxford University Press, South Melbourne.


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Appendix One: Koala Scat Search Trees Surveyed.

# Date Position Eastings Northings Tree Species DBH (cm) Scats

1 19/02/2018 Forest edge 297035 6222282 Stringybark sp 183 -



4 19/02/2018 Forest edge 297046 6222212 Narrow-leaved Ironbark 152 -


6 19/02/2018 Forest edge 297006 6222140 Grey Gum >200 -


8 19/02/2018 Forest edge 296989 6222132 Grey Gum 111 -


10 19/02/2018 Cleared below canopy; disturbed ground <50m from forest edge 296977 6222134 Grey Gum 156 -




14 19/02/2018 Cleared below canopy; disturbed ground <50m from forest edge 296953 6222145 Stringybark sp 112 -

15 19/02/2018 Cleared below canopy; disturbed ground <50m from forest edge 296964 6222162 Stringybark sp >200 -


17 19/02/2018 Cleared below canopy; disturbed ground <50m from forest edge 296948 6222164 Grey Gum >200 -







24 19/02/2018 Cleared below canopy; disturbed ground <50m from forest edge 296934 6222124 Rough-barked Apple 91 -



27 19/02/2018 Cleared below canopy; disturbed ground <50m from forest edge 296912 6222139 Rough-barked Apple >200 -



30 19/02/2018 Paddock Tree; >100m from forest edge 296843 6222181 Grey Gum >200 -

31 19/02/2018 Paddock Tree; >100m from forest edge 296844 6222223 Grey Gum 186 <10


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32 19/02/2018 Paddock Tree; >100m from forest edge 296862 6222248 Grey Gum 142 -

33 19/02/2018 Cleared below canopy; disturbed ground <50m from forest edge 296874 6222097 Broad-leaved Red Ironbark >200 -


35 19/02/2018 Cleared below canopy; disturbed ground <50m from forest edge 296872 6222069 Forest Red Gum 192 10-20


37 19/02/2018 Cleared below canopy; disturbed ground <50m from forest edge 296869 6222042 Forest Red Gum 155 -






43 19/02/2018 Cleared below canopy; disturbed ground <50m from forest edge 296880 6222040 Forest Red Gum >200 <10







50 19/02/2018 Cleared below canopy; disturbed ground <50m from forest edge 296900 6222024 Forest Red Gum 71 <10



53 19/02/2018 Cleared below canopy; disturbed ground <50m from forest edge 296894 6222027 Grey Gum >200 <10


55 19/02/2018 Cleared below canopy; disturbed ground <50m from forest edge 296891 6222000 Narrow-leaved Ironbark >200 -



58 19/02/2018 Cleared below canopy; disturbed ground <50m from forest edge 296882 6221990 Forest Red Gum >200 -






64 19/02/2018 Cleared below canopy; disturbed ground <50m from forest edge 296923 6221987 Cabbage Gum 147 <10



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67 19/02/2018 Cleared below canopy; disturbed ground <50m from forest edge 296976 6221965 Narrow-leaved Ironbark 109 -



70 19/02/2018 Cleared below canopy; disturbed ground <50m from forest edge 296985 6221962 Grey Gum >200 10-20















85 19/02/2018 Cleared below canopy; disturbed ground <50m from forest edge 296946 6221942 Forest Red Gum >200 -

86 19/02/2018 50-100m from forest edge; cleared below canopy; disturbed ground 296919 6221931 Narrow-leaved Ironbark 176 -

87 19/02/2018 50-100m from forest edge; cleared below canopy; disturbed ground 296927 6221914 Grey Gum >200 10-20

88 19/02/2018 50-100m from forest edge; cleared below canopy; disturbed ground 296940 6221905 Grey Gum 91 -














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105 19/02/2018 50-100m from forest edge; cleared below canopy; disturbed ground 296865 6221863 Grey Gum >200 -




109 19/02/2018 50-100m from forest edge; cleared below canopy; disturbed ground 296881 6221885 Stringybark sp 128 -

110 19/02/2018 50-100m from forest edge; cleared below canopy; disturbed ground 296880 6221852 Forest Red Gum 103 -



113 19/02/2018 50-100m from forest edge; cleared below canopy; disturbed ground 296867 6221842 Rough-barked Apple 74 -

























15






141 19/02/2018 50-100m from forest edge; cleared below canopy; disturbed ground 296804 6221773 Forest Red Gum >200 -









150 19/02/2018 50-100m from forest edge; cleared below canopy; disturbed ground 296811 6221750 Forest Red Gum 99 <10





155 19/02/2018 Cleared below canopy; disturbed ground <50m from forest edge 296856 6221738 Grey Gum >200 20-30



158 19/02/2018 Paddock Tree; <100m from forest edge 296912 6221735 Narrow-leaved Ironbark >200 -

159 19/02/2018 Paddock Tree; <100m from forest edge 296953 6221714 Narrow-leaved Ironbark 147 -

160 19/02/2018 Paddock Tree; <100m from forest edge 296899 6221682 Narrow-leaved Ironbark 163 -









169 19/02/2018 Paddock Tree; <100m from forest edge 296948 6221619 Grey Gum >200 -

170 19/02/2018 Paddock Tree; <100m from forest edge 296934 6221618 Grey Gum >200 -

171 19/02/2018 Paddock Tree; >100m from forest edge 296906 6221583 Grey Gum >200 <10



16





176 20/02/2018 Trees <50m to Appin Road vegetation corridor 296270 6217598 Stringybark sp 49 -


178 20/02/2018 Trees <50m to Appin Road vegetation corridor 296274 6217599 Grey Gum 88 -



181 20/02/2018 Trees <50m to Appin Road vegetation corridor 296280 6217592 Grey Box 93 -



184 20/02/2018 Trees <50m to Appin Road vegetation corridor 296317 6217583 Grey Box 149 <10












196 20/02/2018 Cleared below canopy; disturbed ground <50m from forest edge 296526 6217470 Stringybark sp >200 -










206 20/02/2018 >100m from forest edge; cleared below canopy; disturbed ground 296522 6217616 Rough-barked Apple 113 -

207 20/02/2018 >100m from forest edge; cleared below canopy; disturbed ground 296512 6217617 Rough-barked Apple >200 -

208 20/02/2018 >100m from forest edge; cleared below canopy; disturbed ground 296504 6217623 Grey Gum >200 -


17


209 20/02/2018 >100m from forest edge; cleared below canopy; disturbed ground 296510 6217629 Grey Gum 198 -

210 20/02/2018 >100m from forest edge; cleared below canopy; disturbed ground 296504 6217638 Rough-barked Apple >200 -









219 20/02/2018 >100m from forest edge; cleared below canopy; disturbed ground 296542 6217662 Blackbutt 109 -


221 20/02/2018 >100m from forest edge; cleared below canopy; disturbed ground 296548 6217675 Blackbutt >200 -




225 20/02/2018 >100m from forest edge; cleared below canopy; disturbed ground 296528 6217675 Grey Gum >200 <10







232 20/02/2018 Paddock Tree; >100m from forest edge 296491 6217708 Blackbutt 145 -


234 20/02/2018 Paddock Tree; >100m from forest edge 296503 6217710 Blackbutt >200 <10

235 20/02/2018 Paddock Tree; >100m from forest edge 296486 6217704 Grey Gum 166 -

236 20/02/2018 Paddock Tree; >100m from forest edge 296483 6217711 Blackbutt >200 -










18








251 20/02/2018 Cleared below canopy; disturbed ground <50m from forest edge 296499 6217839 Blackbutt >200 -

252 20/02/2018 Cleared below canopy; disturbed ground <50m from forest edge 296503 6217840 Blackbutt 192 -



















271 20/02/2018 Paddock Tree; <100m from forest edge 296536 6217875 Grey Gum 197 -









280 20/02/2018 Paddock Tree; <100m from forest edge 296565 6217796 Blackbutt 128 -


19











290 20/02/2018 Cleared below canopy; disturbed ground <50m from forest edge 296621 6217652 Grey Gum 108 10-20

291 20/02/2018 Cleared below canopy; disturbed ground <50m from forest edge 296623 6217645 Grey Gum 176 <10
















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